Revamped Snellville Arts Commission gets new focus, seeks applicants

SNELLVILLE – After a brief hiatus, the Snellville Arts Commission is back with a new focus.

Created in 2012, the Snellville Arts Commission was designed to increase art awareness in the community. SAC had created murals, held cultural events and organized, led by Nedra Bailey, the very successful ongoing exhibit space for local artists in the City Hall Community Room. However, the “new” SAC will now be more of an advisory commission as opposed to one charged with staging various events.

Mayor and Council approved a resolution Feb. 25 redefining the commission’s role, the first order of business will be to get a new SAC Board, the second, to have that group seek the best vendor to create a Community/Public Art Master Plan.

“SAC shall prepare, maintain and update a public art master plan which identifies locations for public art in the city and identifies other potential uses of art and needed cultural-related resources,” the resolution reads.

Appointed by Mayor and Council, the city is seeking six new SAC members who will serve four-year terms (with the exception of three initial members who will only serve a two-year term so the membership terms will be staggered). Three initial members will be appointed to Posts 1-3 and serve for four years and three initial members will be appointed to Posts 4-6 which will be the two year terms. A seventh member – whether it is the mayor or a councilmember - will be appointed annually by the Mayor and Council. The Mayor and Council believe this new direction will increase public input and better direct the city’s cultural efforts.

Under the new terms, SAC is not authorized to spend city money. Expenditures for art acquisition, performances, art programming, art education, fund raising and other purposes consistent with the promotion of public and performing art in Snellville will be recommended to Mayor and Council who will then appropriate the funds.

The resolution also created the Performing Arts and Acquisition Fund (PAAF), a separate, special revenue fund apart from the city's overall fund structure into which public art donations and funding are deposited, transferred and used for the acquisition, commissioning, performance, exhibition and conservation of public art as recommended by SAC and approved by Mayor and Council; the Snellville Community Foundation will be used for such donations and expenditures. Now all developers and those seeking significant development permits will be informed about the value the city places on public art and its role in the community, adding to the overall quality of life of Snellville citizens. Applicants shall be encouraged, but not required, to consider a donation to the PAAF. Ten percent of each donation, gift or contribution received by SAC will be designated and restricted to expenditures related to the routine maintenance, repair and cleaning of public art projects as this initiative is intended to be a long-term priority.